Boiler-flue cleaner.



J. T. LEMON BOILER FLUE CLEANER.

APPLICATION rum) MAY 13, 1912v 1 79,499, Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

JOHN T. LEMON, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

BoILERfFLUE CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

Application filed May 13, 1912. Serial No. 696,877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. LEMON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boiler-Flue Cleaners, of which the following is a specifieation.

My invention relates to boiler flue cleaners and is particularly directed to the production of a boiler flue cleaner which is cal culated to cleanse the fines individually'and thoroughly by the introduction of a small steam or air blower. It pertains dcsirably to that particular type of fine cleaners wherein the cleansing steam is introduced into the rear ends of the boiler flues, thereby utilizing the natural draft and partial vacuum produced by the products of combustion in their normal path of passage to the stack.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I utilize a single discharge nozzle which is designed to be introduced successively into the boiler fines and which pref erably has a swinging action within a confined area. This confined area is desirably circumscribed and determined by a casting mounted in the rear Wall of the furnace structure and having a bearing aperture for the swinging support of the nozzle member.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts, and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the rear end of my furnace structure showing the cleaning device in position of actual operatlon, Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the fur-- nace structure partially broken away to show the relative location of the boiler flues, Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the front end of my boiler structure illustrating a desired means for directing the ejected soot upwardl into the stack so as to preclude any material discharge of the soot from around the front door of the furnace, Fig. l is a detail view of the nozzle element desirably used by me, Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the casting which I preferably use and showing it removed from the rear wall of the furnace structure, Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 5, and, Fig. 7 is a vertical section of this castmg.

In the drawings, there is shown the boiler 1 having the fiues 2 and rear and front heads 3 and 4, which boiler 1 is desirably carried within brick framework 5 in the ordinary manner, having its front end accessible by means of doors 6 which may be hinged or otherwise mounted.

The important element of my invention consists of a casting 7 which is intended to be mounted in the rear wall of the brick work 5 of the furnace structure and which is of substantially frusto-pyramidal form, hollowed out and having its rear end provided with a closing plate 8 centrally provided as at 9 with a flared bore. At the juncture of the vertical inner walls of the member 7 with the lower horizontal in. er wall thereof, there are provided lugs 10 which are especially arranged at this point due, to certain existing peculiarities of the normal furnace structure as regards the location of the boiler flues. This casting 7 is designed to be mounted in the brick wall as stated and is maintained against inward movement, which may occur through expansiv-e and contractive actions under heat influences, by a plate 11 secured thereto by bolts 12 extending through bolt holes 13 in the wall 8 of the casting.

The nozzle element of my invention comprises a tubular member 14 tapered to a nozzle 15 having a duct therein which need not be greater than approximately onequarter of an inch in dlameter and which extends about to the union 16, the nozzle element being desirably provided with a handle 17. In communication with the .union 16 and therefore in communication with the duct of the nozzle 15 is a pipe section 18 having a universal joint connection 19 about pipe section 20 which is in turn universally jointed as at 21 to pipe section 22 likewise connected by a universal joint 23 to the steam pipe 24. This steam pipe 24 is under the control of the valve 25 having an operating handle 26.

The operation of the structure thus far described is as follows: The nozzle element is introduced through the flared opening 9 and because of this flared formationpf such opening it may be swung into position to strike aiiy of the boiler flues. However, when the nozzle elementis mounted in the flared opening 9 and is bearing against the upper horizontalwall of the casting at its forward point, as shown in Fig. 1, the nozzle is in line with the upper row of boiler flues and may be successively introduced thereinto for the purpose of cleansing them. When the cleansing of the upper row of boiler flues is completed, the nozzle element is in contact with either one or the other of the vertical walls of the casting at its forward ointand consequently the nozzle need only e tilted downwardly until it reaches the first boiler fiue'in the next hi hest row of boiler flues. Having reached t is point, it may be successively inserted in the boiler fiues and this operation may be continued until all of the boiler flues are cleansed. By reference to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the lower row of boiler flues is minus one flue at either end in comparison with the rows above. Consequently there is left a space which may be designated A. It is desired to no form the casting that the nozzle may not be pointed atthis blank space forv the reason that an unnecessary escape of steam would take place. This is the effect of the formations 10 at the juncture of the vertical walls with the lower horizontal wall of the casting. These lugs preclude all possibility of the nozzle being directed at the blank space described. This, however, is only an illustration of what I desire to do in the adaptation of my invention 'to various boilers, for I may so form the castin element as to absolutely preclude all non-alinement of the nozzle with some boiler flue.

. It will be understood that the injection of the steam at the rear endof the boiler flues is necessarily followed by the emission of a strong current of soot and steam from the front ends of the boiler flue. Under ordinary circumstances the mere maintenance of tlre doors 6 in closed position, will be suflicient to preclude any material escape of the Soot into the room wherein the furnaces are, but I may find it desirable to use a plate 27 which is provided with L-shaped brackets 28 for removably mounting the said late just within the doors and in substantial alinement with the emission ends of the lines. The currents of soot striking this plate, will be directed upwardly into the stack 29.

Under certain conditions, it may be desirable to space the plate 11 from actual contact with the casting by means of an asbestos layer 30, so as to avoid the communication of heat from the said casting tothe plate 11.

By my invention I am enabled to obtain a thorough cleansing of the boiler flues bythc expenditure of a minimum amount of steam and at the same time by the utilization of the normal draft created by the products of combustion, in contradistinction to the introduction of steam andthe forcing thereof against the path of travel of the products of combustion.

One of the main features of my invention is the fact that the force of the steam is concentrated and directly applied to the efi'ect of effectiveness. This is due to the fact that the nozzle is designed to be inserted within the boiler tube to be blown and the steam emitted from such nozzle is not discharged at random external to the boiler tube as has hitherto been customary. Furthermore, the structure of my casting element is such that there is practically no danger of directing the steam against a blank space.

What I claim, is:

1. A boiler flue cleaner comprising a nozzle mounted to have a universal movement, and a guide element carrying said nozzle of a form to confine the working area of said nozzle to the are"- overed by the boiler flues.

2. A boiler flue cleaner comprising a nozzle universally mounted to swing within a confined area, and a guide element for said nozzle whereby the nozzle is confined to movement over the area covered by the boiler flues by following the contour of said guide element. A

3. A boiler flue cleaner comprising a nozzle universally mounted to swing within a confined area, a guide element for said nozzle whereby the nozzle is confined to movement over the area covered by the boiler Hues, by following the contour of said guide element and formations on said element for guiding said nozzle to irregularly spaced boiler flues.

4. A boiler flue cleaner comprising a nozzle universally mounted to swing within a confined area, and a guide element constructed to guide said nozzle to irregularly spaced boiler flues.

5. A boiler flue cleaner comprising, in combination with boiler furnace structure, a casting having a flared aperture therein, a nozzle element for insertion through said aperture and having a universal movement therein, said casting being formed to confine the working area of said nozzle element to just the area covered by said boiler flues.

6. A boiler flue cleaner comprising, in combination with a boiler furnace structure, a hollow casting of frustopyramidal form having an aperture in one end and an open 7. A boiler flue cleaner comprising in combination with a. boiler furnace structure, of the casting to be guided to the on\ ermost a hollow casting of frusto-pyramidal form flues of the boiler. 10 having one end closed and the other end In testimony whereof I afiix my signature open, said closed end having a flared aperin presence of two witnesses.

ture therein, spaced lug formations at the JOHN T. LEMON. open end of said casting, and a nozzle for in- \Vitnesses: sertion through sai l aperture and adapted to C. C. SHEPHERD,

contact with the inner edge of the open end WALTER E. S. Boon. 

